The Mad Scientist
by Cyanide 6
Summary: This is a weird idea that popped into my head a few days ago.  Basically, Franz Hopper is really a mad scientist with a really weird expirement. That's all I can say without giving to much away.  Read and review, please, but no flames.
1. Chapter 1

X.A.N.A floated amongst the internet, mulling. How could things have gotten this out of control? How could she have turned to that interfering idiot for comfort? How could she **hate** him now?

How had this happened?

This wasn't how it was supposed to have happened.

But he would make things right. He would make things right, or his name wasn't X.A.N.A.

Which, of course, it wasn't.

.

.

* * *

><p><strong>One<strong>

Franz Hopper retreated to his lab, deep below the Hermitage where he lived. He **would** complete his experiment, if it killed him.

He entered the lab and turned toward the long rows of cylinders, covered in cloth.

He went down the rows, whipping the cloth off of each, to reveal his master plan.

Floating in the cylinders were children. Each of different ages, sizes, nationalities, and genders.

Soon all were uncovered, except the one at the end. The children he saw before him were prototypes, tests to make sure the one he wanted was a success.

He began working, flitting from console to console, checking the status of each child.

Creating the shell was easy enough, that's what he had in front of him. But, creating an actual human being out of DNA that he had excavated from graveyards, passersby, donors, ect. was the hard part.

Each child was intended to be perfect, in one way. The muscular form and chiseled features of the 'most attractive male', the alabaster skin and golden hair of the 'most attractive female'… each was designed to be different from the dark skinned 'strongest male', to the long flat hair of the Chinese 'most gymnastic female'.

He had taken DNA from the smartest scientists, the most celebrated artists, the most statuesque models, the most commanding politicians, the highest valued athletes… all to make his perfect children.

But things were not going easily. Already several of the children were deteriorating. The 'most flexible female' seemed to be the first to go. He could not get her vital signs to stay stable, her internal organs were never given the opportunity to fully develop, and the stress her brain was going through to try and save herself was causing her mental state to unravel, alarmingly fast.

Franz looked thoughtfully at the ten-year-old Asian-Indian girl. Perhaps, he thought, the upgrade had been too much. He had updated the children so they could display their facial expressions. Many of the children had peaceful, sleeping expressions. But some, like this one's faces were twisted to display some kind of agony or another.

He walked back to some of his healthier children. A few in particular who seemed to be doing very well were the 'most attractive female', the 'fastest male', the 'most in tune with nature male', and the 'best chef male'.

Franz stared at the last one, trying to remember why he had tried so hard to make the perfect chef.

To feed us I suppose, he thought, staring at the Spanish fifteen-year-old.

He shrugged and continued his work.

That night he injected through one of the tubes inserted into the children nutrients that would further their growing. Again he made notes of what was most accepted, and, using this information, gave the best nutrients to his special experiment, his most highly valued prize.

After finishing feeding the children, he got back to work, writing program updates for them. They were all connected to individual computers, and when Franz updated the computers, he updated the children.

After completing a few various programs, he turned to another project, a world that he could live in, without danger from outsiders, without danger from **them**. A world without danger.

.

As the days passed, Franz would scan all kinds of news, hoping to find some information on Anthea. Not a day had passed since she had been kidnapped that he did not pine for her. But once again, he was offered no clue as to where she was. And, so, he continued his work. But not entirely alone. For Anthea had left him something, some**one**, very special. And so he continued his work, while thoughts of revenge swam through his thoughts.

.

One day Franz checked on his special project. Everything was going well there, but more of the children were worsening. That night, the 'most flexible female' expired.

He had been expecting it. Her physical form had begun to show signs of deterioration: she had become emaciated and pale, and her eyes had become sunken. Physical stress was the last sign of deterioration.

As he disposed of the remains of his failed experiments, he couldn't help but feel slightly elated.

They said you learn more from your mistakes, and from this child in particular, he had learned much. What worked and what didn't. What he should do to his special one and what he shouldn't.

.

Time passed and as Franz grew closer to finishing his goal, he became more worried.

The children were dying at a considerable rate, and though he learned much from each failed experiment, he couldn't help but worry that they would all die before he gathered enough information.

He replaced the cloth that had been covering the face of the 'most artistic female'. The dissections of the failed children had provided useful, but the increased speed in which he added new programs increased the speed in which they worsened.

Unless, of course, he stumbled upon a working code. Then the child would advance, and, if there appeared to be no ill effects, he would cast that program onto his darling experiment.

He pushed aside the long, curly, red hair of the 'most artistic female' and began writing.

_Note: Too much added DNA may cause unwanted growths. Be sure of what type you add before doing so._

The 'most artistic female' had suffered from an additional limb being grown, and that had caused her early demise.

Franz Hopper glanced at the floating figures of his best children. The 'most attractive female' and the 'funniest male'. The others that had been doing well reacted horribly with one treatment or another and had been terminated.

The 'most attractive female' turned slightly in her capsule. Franz had updated the remaining children so that their stasis states had become more lifelike, indeed, now they seemed only to be sleeping.

It had been worth to hear the quiet sleep murmurs coming from his precious one.

He looked over at the ones that were doing average. The 'most athletic female', the 'strongest female', the 'stealthiest male', the 'kindest female', and the 'most intelligent male'. The last of these Franz had given a program that would cause him to occasionally open his eyes. This would be the first time Franz would have seen any of the children's eyes, while still in their heads.

If it worked, he would upgrade the better ones, and if it worked on them, then he would give it to his precious. So far, however, the results had been disappointing. Franz had yet to see the eyes that the program had intended to display.

Franz was now considering his name.

Waldo Schaeffer had been the name of a scientist who had been relived of his duties due to an obsession with virtual worlds, Artificial Intelligences, cloning, and time travel.

Franz Hopper was the name of a happy man who devoted his time to the every needs of his love Anthea.

But, with Anthea gone, Franz Hopper was no longer suitable. He needed something that would remind him of Anthea, but not Hopper.

So he dropped his last name and added the first two letters of her name to the end of his.

Franzan.

It worked for him.

Suddenly a bleep sounded from one of the computers.

He rushed over to find the 'most intelligent male' slowly opening his eyes. They only opened partway and stared blankly, but the vivid blue that showed from beneath the eight-year-olds lids was more than Franzan expected.

.

The day he implanted the memories into their heads was one of mixed feelings. Most were unable to handle the stress of all the tests as well as this. He was left with the 'most attractive female', the 'most thoughtful male', the 'most intelligent male', and the 'most social female'. And, of course, his beloved one.

But, with this hurdle overcome, Franzan was much closer to his goal. He was only days away from unveiling his masterwork. He might even have some of the children left, to befriend his pet project.

One night, as he prepared for the final stages, his thoughts drifted back to when he first met Anthea.

He had left the government in disgrace and had met the 16 years younger than him Anthea. He had been thirty-six at the time and had begun working as a professor at the university she was going to.

As he helped her get her degree, he realized that she had been the same girl who lived across from him, back when he worked for the government.

He remembered her at age thirteen, riding her bike up and down the road. He remembered wishing he was free like her.

As he helped her, the couple soon fell in love, and he had been determined to not let anyone get in the way of his happiness. He began to shut people out of their lives, try to keep it between the two of them. But no matter how hard he tried, he was unable to keep her. One day, men came and took his Anthea away.

He heard bleeping and went to investigate. He was trying to bring the 'most social female' out of stasis.

The liquid she had been floating in drained through the ground, causing her to slump to the ground.

The capsule opened and Franzan caught her in his arms. The blonde 14-year-old groaned and lifted an arm slightly. She blinked once, then twice and then was still.

Franzan bit back his disappointment. Despite all his calculations, he was unable to create a child that could function on their own, without help from the computers.

Shaking off the feelings of failure, he set to work, trying to find what had gone wrong, and making it right.

.

He was awakened by the sound of bleeping. He rushed down into the cellar to find that the capsules were malfunctioning.

Quickly, he set to work.

He drained the first capsule, to find that the 'most thoughtful male' had not made it. Franzan checked a few things, made some alterations, and moved on to the next one.

The 'most attractive female' was next. She made it.

Franzan had programmed the children to think of him as their father.

"Daddy?" The golden haired girl whispered, before sliding into unconsciousness.

He got chills, just listening to the voice of someone he had created from nothing. But, still, she was weak. It would be a miracle if she survived the first few days.

He moved on to the 'most intelligent male'. After making a few modifications and released the young boy. He collapsed into Franzan's arms.

His blue eyes met Franzan's, before he slumped into unconsciousness. This one looked better, there was even a chance he would survive.

He made some final modifications before moving, trembling, to the final container. He pulled the cloth back to reveal the perfect child.

He hit the release key with shaking fingers.

He caught her in his arms.

"Daddy?" The green-eyed pinkette whispered.

"It's alright, Aelita. Everything is going to be fine."


	2. Chapter 2

**Two**

Franzan checked up on his projects. As he expected, the 'most attractive female' expired a few days later, after hanging in limbo. But, to his surprise, the 'most intelligent male' appeared to be pulling through. He needed to be connected to the machines for a while, but in a week, he was able to survive on his own. He was now functional on his own, though he got sick easily and was very small, even for an eight-year-old. Aelita was a full success. She could perfectly function on her own and had already developed her personality.

She was bright and inquisitive, smart and innocent, but also feisty and independent. She was also deeply loving.

The 'most intelligent male' was also developing. He was very smart, obviously, and he was caring and nice, though had a cynical side.

Franzan kept them hooked to his computers, so that they wouldn't age. He still needed to fix some kinks in his supercomputer before they could move to the world he had prepared.

He watched his children, who were reading on the ground. The Hermitage's basement was no place to keep children.

"Look MIM!" Aelita showed the 'most intelligent male', or MIM (pronounced: Meem), as she called him, a page in her book.

The tiny genius examined her book. He shook his head. "I don't know who writes this stuff! That's obviously wrong, in so many ways! Really, the things that get published these day!"

Aelita laughed. "I know MIM, it's ridiculous. To think that anyone would be misled by this misinformation."

MIM tossed it into a pile that the two had labeled 'incorrect'.

Franzan smiled. He loved to see his precious one so happy. And soon he would take her to a place where they would never be in danger again.

.

"What is this place, Daddy?" Aelita stood in front of the scanner in the old factory.

"You'll see, honey," he responded, smiling. "Step inside the scanner, MIM," he ordered.

Franzan headed up to the lab, where he began the virtualization. "Transfer: MIM. Scanner: MIM. Virtualization!"

In a quiet, virtual forest, a disturbance appeared in the air. Soon, MIM landed on the ground. He wore a silky blue outfit, with green designs. The outfit gave him a distinct, mage-like appearance, helped by the blue and black robes he wore.

"Daddy?" The eight-year-old piped up. "Where am I? What happened?"

"Daddy!" Aelita shrieked, from below. "MIM's gone!"

Franzan could hear MIM's panicked voice. But, he would have to wait. If there were any ill effects of being virtualized, Franzan didn't want them to hurt his precious Aelita. Better to wait and see what happened to MIM first.

"Don't worry, Aelita sweetie, MIM's fine," he called down to Aelita. "MIM," he instructed, "run ahead, down the path in front of you. When you get to the end of the path, you'll reach a large, cylinder. Walk into it. Don't fall off the paths."

In the virtual forest, MIM nodded. He began running, his cloak flying out behind him. He wondered where he was, what he was doing there.

He ran to the cylinder. He looked up at it in awe. Then, obeying his father's orders, he walked into it.

In the factory, Franzan ran a scan on MIM. No ill effects popped up. A grin moved across his face. "Aelita, dearest, step into the scanner now. Don't worry, nothing's wrong. Go into the scanner."

Nervously, she stepped into the scanner.

"Transfer: Aelita. Scanner: Aelita. Virtualization.

In the middle of the virtual forest, a new disturbance appeared.

Then, on the ground, landed Aelita. She wore a pink and white assemble, a green earring in one pointed ear.

Franzan gave her the directions to the tower.

Aelita walked through the tower, entering.

"MIM!" She shrieked, happily. MIM rushed to her and gave her a hug.

"You look really pretty, Aelita," he said shyly.

She beamed. "You look pretty cute yourself!"

The two discussed their apparel, and where the heck they were.

Then Franzan walked in. He wore a black and red outfit, with symbols on the shoulders and knees. The symbols marked him as the master of the virtual world.

"Well," he said, giving Aelita a hug. "Welcome to your new home!" Aelita and MIM's eyes got big.

"You mean we're living here, Daddy?" MIM asked, blue eyes huge.

He nodded. "What do you think, princess?"

"Oh, daddy! I love it!" She threw her arms around him in a hug. The children had only ever known the cold cellar of the Hermitage, and this new, bright world, with its trees and sunlight were so different.

"In these towers," Franzan told them, "you can access the outside world." Franzan showed them how to access outside sources from the interfaces in the towers. They could access everything that had ever been on an electrical appliance. They could find enough entertainment and information to last them forever. They could create things of their own. And as the outside world advanced, so would the information they had. They could also spend forever exploring the new world. Franzan was creating new sectors. He was thinking an ice sector. And maybe a mountain one. Maybe he could do a field, or a dessert. He would also update the sectors, add new plants and animals. He had already created a pet for Aelita.

"Honey, why don't you come outside. There's someone I want you to meet!"

Aelita ran outside, MIM trailing in her wake.

Franzan typed a program onto the interface.

In front of the two children appeared a small, curious creature.

It had six short legs and a big brownish tan head. Its one eye blinked at Aelita. It had a virtual symbol on its forehead.

"Oh daddy!" Both children ran up and began playing with it.

It leaped in a puppy-like fashion, created small, yip-like sounds. It ran around them and jumped on their laps to be petted.

"Oh daddy!" Aelita said again, jumping up as her father exited the tower, beaming.

"Do you like it?"

"I **love** it!"

"What's its name?" MIM asked.

Franzan frowned. "Well now, I hadn't thought of that. What do **you** think its name should be, Aelita?"

The pink haired elf examined the little creature for a moment.

"Kra-no, Kaky-no no, aha! Kankralet!"

"Kankralet!" MIM said, happily. "Perfect!"

Franzan watched the children run off with Kankralet.

"Let's go exploring!" MIM suggested.

"Don't fall into the digital sea!" Franzan called after them. "And be back in twelve hours! I'm programming an alarm to go off when you reach the half-way point!"

.

Later they were going over what they had found, slides of hollowed trees that went on for miles, trees to climb, pools of water.

"And you know what?" Franzan said, when they had quieted off.

"What?" They chorused.

"I'm already busy making more. More creatures, more sectors, more everything."

"It's perfect, daddy."

"Yeah, perfect," MIM echoed.

"What do you think we should call our new home, honey?"

Aelita frowned, thinking. Then, she smiled.

"Lyoko."


	3. Chapter 3

**Three**

"34-35-36-37-38-39-40! Ready or not, here I come!" MIM shouted. He took off, running through the forest. It was round 47 of hide-and-seek, the children's favorite game.

MIM slid through a log slide, and jumped over a gap that led to the digital void. He ran more, until he stopped. Something about the area he was in wasn't right. He scanned the area, until he found out what was wrong.

There was a strip of bark where there hadn't been one before. MIM's eyes lit up, and he knocked on the bark.

"Aelita! Are you in there?"

The bark was kicked down, and Aelita hopped out, throwing her arms around MIM, giggling.

"What gave me away?"

"The bark, it wasn't there before."

She rolled her eyes. "Curse you and your photographic memory."

"Curse you and your creativity," he tossed back.

She swiped her armband, and her wings flicked out. "Catch me if you can!" She crowed.

MIM swiped his armband, and a small cloud appeared under his feet. Aelita flew off, as MIM raced after her on his floating cloud.

The two chased each other for an hour, before a beeping sound was heard.

"Come on, MIM, time to check in with Daddy in the tower," she said. "He said he has something to show us!"

The children flew home, to their tower in the woods. Outside, Kankralet bounced around, excited that his masters were home. He tried to jump into their arms, but only succeeded in bumping into them. Aelita scooped him up into her arms, and entered the tower behind MIM.

"Come here honey," Franzan said, upon her arrival. Aelita joined her father in the center of the virtual symbol. Franzan typed a few more things on the console. "I have something to show you!" He said.

He stood up to where MIM stood, a little away from him. Franzan gave MIM a gentle shove, sending him tumbling over the edge, with a shriek.

"**DADDY!"** Aelita shrieked, bolting toward the edge. He held her back.

"Don't worry, MIM will be alright, just wait and see."

.

MIM tumbled through darkness, with only bits of data to light his way. MIM was terrified, he always had a fear of falling great distances. He continued to scream, wondering why his daddy had pushed him off the edge. He squeezed his eyes shut.

Then he felt himself land on solid ground. His eyes flashed open, to see that he had landed in a tower.

"D-d-daddy?" He called out tremulously. If Lyoko allowed tears, they would have been streaming down his face. "D-d-daddy?" He repeated, looking around the empty tower, alone.

.

"There, you see honey?" Franzan said to Aelita, gesturing at the console through which MIM's voice was coming through. "MIM's alright." He turned to the console. "MIM, I need you to leave the tower, now!" He ordered.

.

MIM heard the voice come through the interface. "R-right away, Daddy," he stammered obediently. MIM stepped through the exit to the tower.

He gave another little scream. "Daddy! Where am I?" MIM blinked, terrified at the stark icy glaciers that surrounded him, and the dark skies. This was nothing like the forest.

.

Franzan checked MIM's status. He appeared to have survived the fall, and the new sector, without any ill effects.

"Alright, Aelita, do you want to join MIM?"

Aelita nodded, green eyes shining.

"Step to the edge of the platform." Franzan held her arms out. "Don't think about falling, just lean forward and do it. You can keep your eyes closed if you like." He grabbed her hand. "Don't worry, I won't let your hand go."

Aelita nodded, and stepped toward the edge. Arms outstretched, one hand firmly grasping Franzan's, the two gracefully leaned off the edge.

.

"Wow, Daddy, this is awesome!" Aelita gasped, as she stepped out into the Ice sector. The air gave the feeling of being in the artic, without actually being cold.

MIM looked traumatized. Aelita gave him a hug.

"You can have a few hours to explore, then it's back to the tower with you."

"Come on, MIM!" Aelita said, yanking on his hand. MIM followed, a bit shakily.

"You're so lucky MIM," Aelita said, sighing. "You get to do everything first, you got to come to Lyoko first, you got to see the new sector first."

"I guess so," MIM said seriously. "I just wish Daddy had given me fair warning, before pushing me off the platform."

The two chatted as they ran.

Suddenly they stopped. "Aelita, look at that!"

The children stared at the huge opening, into a tunnel. They exchanged glances. "Well," said Aelita, "should we go into it?"

"Sure!" Said MIM. "Daddy would never put one of us into a situation where we could be hurt!"

MIM leaped into the tunnel, Aelita hot on his trail.

"Wahoo!" Aelita shrieked, as they blasted through the tunnel. "I think this is my favorite sector!"

MIM and Aelita's giggles echoed through the tunnel as they flew through it. When they reached the bottom, she unfurled her wings, he summoned his cloud, and they raced back up.

Up and down and up and down they raced, until the alarm sounded, and the children mad their way back to the tower.

They met Franzan there, who showed them the pets in this sector.

The charismatic, almost doglike Tarantulas, and the graceful flying Manta.

The children loved to ride them. Whether it was flying on Manta, or riding Tarantula, the children loved the new pets. And when they tired of playing with the pets, they watched movies, and looked up information on the consoles in all the towers. And when they tired of that, they went exploring, and played games on Lyoko, whether acting out scenes from there movies, playing endless round of hide-and-go-seek, playing tag, racing… The children never ran out of things to do.

"Daddy?" Aelita asked one day. "Can we take Manta to the Forest sector? I think she would love it there, all the trees to fly around."

Franzan nodded.

The two children brought their pet through the tower, and into the forest sector. MIM was still a little afraid of falling off the edge of the tower, but he was able to put on a brave face for Aelita, and the two jumped off, Manta flying behind them.

When they arrived in the forest sector, the two ran out of the tower.

"Come on, Manta," MIM called. He went to jump on, but Aelita pulled Manta's tail back.

"Nu uh, MIM, I'm going first."

MIM frowned. "No way, Aelita. You get to do everything, you get to name the world and all the pets, I want to ride Manta first!"

Aelita glared. "Don't be selfish, MIM. You get to do **everything** first. **EVERYTHING! **Besides, it was my idea so I get to ride him first!"

Aelita went to climb on Manta, when she was shoved off by MIM. "Aelita, you get to do everything!"

Aelita glared at him. "That's because Daddy likes me more than he likes **you**!" She spat back.

MIM looked stricken. He went up and grabbed Aelita by the shoulders. "TAKE THAT BACK!" He shrieked.

"Not 'til you let me ride Manta first!"

MIM glared at her. "You're mean, Aelita! I hate you!"

Aelita's eyes flashed, angrily. She leaped at MIM, and the two fought, screaming and pulling at each other's hair.

Aelita, being older and bigger than MIM, was able to wrestle him to the ground. "I hate you!" She screamed at him.

MIM wriggled free and backed away from her. "You're an idiot, Aelita! You were made to be a useless pink haired girl! I was made to be the smartest ever!"

"YOU WERE MADE AS A PROTOTYPE!" She shrieked.

MIM clenched his hands, summoning five little ice-bolts on each finger. "Take it back, Aelita!" He said. "Take it back or else!"

"Make me!" She spat.

MIM threw the ice-bolts at her.

Aelita shrieked as they hit her. She lay on the ground, gasping.

.

Franzan detected the missing lifepoints on his darling, and quickly made his way to the forest sector.

.

MIM ran over to Aelita, scared. "Aelita, I-I'm really sorry," he whispered, scared.

"Go away!" She screamed. "I hate you!"

"Really Aelita, I-"

He was cut off by Franzan's arrival.

"Aelita, Aelita, honey, don't worry," he whispered, soothingly. Aelita buried her face in his arms, and he stroked her back. "Who did this," he whispered. "Was it Manta? Kankralet?"

Aelita shook her head. "N-no D-Daddy. It was M-MIM."

Franzan ushered Aelita back into the tower, where her lifepoints would be restored.

Then he turned to MIM. The eight-year-old saw the frightening look on his Daddy's face.

"D-D-Daddy, I'm really, r-really s-s-sorry," he stammered, backing away. "I-I am."

Franzan approached MIM, giving him a slap across the face. "How dare you hit your sister?" He thundered. "How dare you?" He roared.

MIM backed away, terrified. "I'm s-sorry," he whimpered. "I won't do it again, I promise."

"No," Franzan said darkly, "you won't."

.

Aelita sat in the tower, healing. She regretted her fight with MIM, but was it _that_ hard to let _her_ do something first? Still, she shouldn't have said that about being her father's favorite. It probably wasn't true, and she had been mean. She would apologize to MIM later.

Meanwhile, in the Ice sector, MIM sat on an iceberg, floating way out in the digital sea. Franzan had eliminated his ability to ignore the cold, and he was shivering fiercely. He tried to move to keep himself warm, but the small iceberg tipped, nearly dumping MIM into the sea. He gave a little shriek and scrambled back to the center.

He would never use his weapons again, ever, he promised.

"I'm s-s-sorry Daddy," he whispered out into the emptiness that surrounded him. His teeth chattering, MIM huddled up against the winds of the Ice sector, and waited for his punishment to end.

**Please review!**


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